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You CAN Teach an old dog new tricks!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized

Molten Metal Faux Paint

This old Baker Furniture chair, although sturdy and still valuable, was boring in black satin….no more! Its neutral mix of silvers, golds and bronze awash in an embedded caramel glaze brought this fabulous set of 10 party chairs into the current century.

Look outside of that doghouse you live in and breath new light into your existing furnishings!! My client describes them as “Eye Candy” now. And yet they are still neutral to stand the test of time. With two coats of clear lacquer they will also stand the test of wear!

When refinishing an item such as this, I encourage proper preparation to ensure the new finish will adhere firmly. Although not as much fun as the artistic finishing, proper prep is mandatory for the stability of your new finish. These chairs underwent a sanding with a 220 grained sander, or finer, followed by a thorough wiping with an appropriate cleaner after determining what finish you are dealing with (and if any furniture wax residue is present). Dependent upon the existing finish, the correct primer coat is essential. This is the bonding coat and you MUST keep in mind that the finished paint technique will only be as strong as the weakest coat of paint!! This is typically the layer at which most finishes fail and I cannot stress enough that you must do your research to determine what product will give you the correct bond. After this you are home free to paint to your heart’s desire so GO FAUX IT and teach that old dog a new trick or two!

Woof!!

Just Faux Fun

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized

Decorative Paint

Who would want a boring powder room after experiencing the interactive movement of this lustrous colourwash? Keeping your guests dazzled in this room will be the talk of the party…

Like watching clouds gently roll by in the sky, the glazes on this wall seem to be ever-changing as you tilt your head. Soft yet strong, subtle yet powerful, this powder room transformed from a cookie cutter builder’s standard issue room into a dazzling and exotic must-see space.

Artwork will leap from these walls, although they will certainly hold their own. A scented candle, a soft towel and this room is DONE!

Raise the Roof!

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized

Well, not really. But it will sure FEEL like it if you add a more saturated color to your ceiling…and at a fraction of the cost of physically lifting your roof!

Throughout my career it’s probably been the number one hesitation by my clients to lose their chalky white ceilings in favor of a more complimentary shade. Because I feel so passionately about this subject, it has become my mission to “raise the roof” of everyone I know…one beautiful ceiling at a time!

Think about this-your ceiling is the single largest surface in your home, office or retail space. Now think about the characteristics of white: it is harsh, cold, lifeless and it “pops” out at you. That’s all well and good for some dynamite decorative trim. But, if you are standing under an eight foot high ceiling, the last thing I want to feel is that ceiling visually pressing down on me. I’d like it to recede, or fall away in shadow thereby creating the illusion of a higher, warmer surface! Accomplish this by choosing a ceiling color a few shades lighter than your walls. For example, if your walls are a magnificent shade of blue such as Benjamin Moore’s historic Van Courtland Blue HC-145, then paint the ceiling Benjamin Moore Yarmouth Blue HC-150. Another example would be if your walls were a calming, spa-like Yarmouth Blue, then paint the ceiling Yarmouth Blue mixed at 25% by your local paint store (only 25% of the tint is used) and is a very popular ceiling solution for me! And speaking of percentages, 100% of my clients have come to appreciate and understand the importance of adding color to the ceiling!

Of course, I am not opposed to painting the ceiling as the darkest tint in the room…but let’s take one color step at a time!

For those who have the magnificence of higher ceilings – empower them to soar with the grandeur of a color! Now you will notice how that crown molding becomes the focal point instead of blending with its neighboring tones.

Once you’ve become a ceiling color convert, and I guarantee you WILL be one, you are ready for the next step in ceiling color which is decorative ceiling paint. Imagine your beautiful dining room chandelier light dancing off the lustre of a metallic stipple

Dining Room Ceiling

…how grand to give your captive dining audience so much eye candy to enjoy along with their meal! What a gracious host you are!!

Oh, the ceiling treatments are endless! Rejoice in your new found freedom from that old chalky white…and I say Raise the Roof!

Don’t Faint, Its Only Paint!

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized

Where else in one’s life can we make such a huge statement without making a huge commitment? If you buy that Lime Green car which caught your eye, you had better still love it in a few years…and good luck selling it. But if you paint a wall lime green and your life’s journey takes you down a new color path-well, then just repaint!

I encourage you to pursue the strongest accent colors you love and put them on your walls as its only a can of paint away from remission. But I’m willing to bet that the new found boldness on your walls, ceilings or furniture may just add that bit of “zing” to your life you’ve been seeking! And I’ll also bet that the boldness will trickle down through your life in ways you could never expect…

Who knew happiness and a new outlook on life was only a paintbrush away? Go ahead-ring in the New Year with New Color. You have this painter’s permission to kick it up to the next level of color!

Don't Faint, Its Only Paint

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Faux Drama

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized

Are they real or are they paint?

These existing residential columns, previously painted white, were treated to a luxurious makeover and now appear as lustrous marble. So real to the eye that, as the story goes, one week after painting was completed, two of the homeowner’s friends entered into quite the heated discussion as to whether they were real stone or paint!

At a fraction of the cost of stone and with the simplest of tools including crumpled, used plastic grocery bags to pounce the glazes onto the surface (recycling at its best), you can turn anything in your home into beautiful and very realistic stone. So grab those old grocery bags and add a little drama to your life…literally!

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American Dream

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Julia
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A derivative of my Passion for Purple, if you will please forgive me one political meander in my decorative foray, is our precious flag of Red, White and Blue. Those who know me can attest to the fact that that I am quite possibly the least politically interested individual around. However, given our current economic situation, even I am drawn to the media’s skewed daily accounts. My intention today is to stir questions in everyone’s mind as to what our goal is as a country, as well as an individual.

GONE are our naive days of childhood when we recited the daily “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all“. I was stopped in my tracks this morning as the local radio station aired their daily visit to an elementary school during their morning pledge. The words leaped from the radio to my mind which instantly began racing… What happened to our indivisible nation? We are in the midst of a massive divide where two parties are fighting so adamantly that they have forgotten what it was they were actually fighting FOR! Have we overstepped the boundaries in our pursuit of liberty? It appears that we have become a nation with inflated libertarian bounds to the point of a parent no longer having necessary rights in the discipline of our own children. I fear that we have we become a governmentally bound nation creating a generation a Marshmallows with our lack of discipline. I do not, in any way, shape or form, condone violence or abuse. However, we, as the current parental generation, have forgotten the power of the word NO. Do you remember when “NO” actually meant No? How about the assorted organizations, all begun with a correct purpose, and who have clearly overstepped their bounds in procuring liberties beyond necessity? Do we still have justice for all? The legal system has become terribly skewed by these organizations’ power and it appears that we truly no longer have ONE INDIVISIBLE NATION with JUSTICE FOR ALL. Justice has eluded us. Liberty has overtaken us. We are terribly divided and don’t seem to pledge our allegiance to anyone but ourselves.

PLEASE read the pledge out loud and display YOUR American flag proudly. Oh yes, and add some passionate purple to your life and hug your family tonight.

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The Power of Purple…really!

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Color Psycology, Venetian Plaster

Okay so you don’t love purple or don’t think this topic holds any interest for you?? Read on!

Purple is intuitively a part of our very essence. It’s association with royalty and luxury delves deep into the core of our humanity.

In human color psychology, purple is associated with royalty and nobility stemming from classical antiquity when Tyrian purple was only affordable to the elites. Oh, and by the way, Tyrian dye is from a mucus secreted by the spiny dye-murex snail…not your mainstay Escargo! And let’s not dismiss purple’s connection to wisdom-In the French academic dress system, the five traditional fields of study (Arts, Science, Medicine, Law and Divinity) are each symbolized by a distinctive color, which appears in the academic dress of the people who graduated in this field. Purple is the distinctive color for Divinity. It is also worn by high academic officials regardless of the field in which they graduated. Although not a particularly optimistic color for the Japanese culture, all other cultures have high regard for purple. Even the military utilizes this color (Purple Hearts are awarded to the brave soldiers wounded in action). In parapsychology, people with purple auras are said to have a love of ritual and ceremony. In your feng shui color applications, color purple should be used with moderation. It is a very strong, high vibration color, the color of connection to the spiritual realms (7th chakra.)

To break down the color of purple, physically, it is both warm and cool. The opposites of hot red and cool blue combine to create this uniquely intriguing color so right from the very start, this color has an energy unlike any other.

Pantone selected the color Blue Iris (PANTONE 18-3943) as the 2008 Color of the Year telling us: “Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical and spiritual qualities of purple, Blue Iris satisfies the need for reassurance in a complex world, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement.”

So…the Design Doc’s prescription for whatever is ailing you is to FIND YOUR PERFECT PURPLE and let it enpower! Maybe its a dark plummy brown or maybe its Pantone’s Blue Iris…whatever Purple it is that resonates deep within in you-put some into your life and let its mystical qualities flood over you.

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Inspired By Nature

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized

Nature's Colour Palette

It’s the time of the year when “cozy” becomes our mantra. The magical colors of nature inspire us and warm our brains when the rest of us becomes chilled. It’s the time of the year when our focus instinctively turns to the inside of our homes. As evolved as we consider ourselves as beings on this planet, our brains are hardwired to “prepare for the coming winter” and, as such, we begin the cozy-ing process of our homes. Introducing one or more of these magnificent fall colors brings a sense of comfort to our lives. We may not be able to wear these colors in our wardrobes but we can appreciate the magnificence of them in our home. Maybe you add a throw pillow. Maybe it’s new placemats for the table. Or maybe you add a warm, spicy decorative glaze on your walls! No matter what your level of saturation is, definitely “fall” for Fall !!!

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Hand Painted Furniture

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Julia
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Painted Furniture

This classic old table was salvaged from a tag sale for only $10! The veneer was destroyed and the top wobbled too much to be used but with a little TLC and alot of vision it now proudly sits in a victorian sitting porch displaying its faux marble, faux bois and glorious painted colours. The distressed red leather top with a printed gold border was the icing on the cake. Reuse, recycle and REJOICE!

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Well Color Me Happy!

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Julia
Posted in Uncategorized

Do you step into your home each day and let out a contented sigh? Simply entering your home at the end of a grueling work day should transport you into a happier place. But how can you reach that goal?

Are you the same person you were years ago? I’d doubt it…nor should be your home. Home IS a reflection of YOU. Every single event in our lives becomes a part of our evolution. To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Life is a journey not a destination” and your home design should reflect that.

Color trends are affected not only by our own journey, but by the World’s. Certainly our own journey of vacation destinations, environment and upbringing, gender and socio-economic level

Color Me Happy

influence our color palette, but don’t deny the influence that political and economic moods inflict upon trends.

Gone are those bright, splashy colors of the 60′s and 70′s that mimicked the strong economic growth of the United States. Gone are the gaudy metallics and intensities of the 80′s and 90′s when we lived lavishly from the growth of the previous era. 2000 brought thoughts of global warming and the forefather of “green” design into our lives. We all scurried to include the warm earth tones and Indian Spice colors into our homes….. now we felt warm and protected against the world.

Well the economy spiraled on a tumultuous downturn and in its quake left our design palette a little quieter, a little more muted and, overall, much simpler.

In a brief synopsis of the psychology of color, different colors trigger different emotions. Designers of retail stores and restaurants intensely use this resource to influence your shopping and eating capacity. So why shouldn’t YOU use this technique to Color Yourself Happy? And the best part is that you’ll intuitively know you’ve hit your Happy Color Zone because that smile creeps in with an uncontrolled deep yoga breath. Don’t question your intuition…it is always right!

Stay tuned in to My Interior Creations updates for how to obtain true Color Happiness!

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